CVE-2008-6472 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
The WLCCP dissector in Wireshark 0.99.7 through 1.0.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6472 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Wireshark's WLCCP dissector component. This issue affects Wireshark versions ranging from 0.99.7 through 1.0.4, creating a scenario where remote attackers can trigger an infinite loop condition that effectively crashes the network protocol analyzer. The WLCCP protocol dissector is responsible for decoding Wireless Local Loop Client Protocol traffic, which is used in wireless networking environments for communication between wireless devices and access points. When malformed or specially crafted packets are processed through this dissector, the parsing logic fails to properly handle certain packet structures, leading to the execution of an infinite loop within the application's processing routines.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the dissector module. When Wireshark encounters specific packet formats that violate expected protocol structures, the WLCCP dissector enters into an infinite loop during packet analysis, consuming excessive CPU resources and rendering the application unresponsive. This behavior aligns with CWE-835, which addresses infinite loops or iterations that can lead to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, where protocol dissectors are responsible for parsing and interpreting network traffic. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious packets that trigger the problematic code path within the dissector, causing the target system running Wireshark to become unresponsive and potentially requiring manual intervention to restore normal operation.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-6472 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise network monitoring capabilities for organizations relying on Wireshark for network analysis. Network administrators who use Wireshark for troubleshooting, security monitoring, or forensic analysis may find their monitoring tools become unavailable during critical incidents, potentially masking actual security threats or network issues. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Wireshark is used in automated monitoring scenarios or where network analysts depend on continuous packet analysis for threat detection. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not need physical access to the target system, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network traffic analysis tools are widely deployed. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a significant risk to network infrastructure integrity and availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6472 primarily focus on immediate version updates and temporary operational measures. Organizations should upgrade to Wireshark versions 1.0.5 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched through improved input validation and loop termination logic. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, particularly in environments where untrusted network traffic is processed. Additionally, deploying network monitoring tools that can detect and alert on unusual CPU utilization patterns can help identify when such attacks are occurring. The patch for this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper error handling in protocol analysis tools and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of dissector modules against malformed inputs. Security teams should also consider implementing network traffic filtering rules to prevent suspicious WLCCP traffic from reaching systems running vulnerable versions of Wireshark, as this approach provides an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts.